Circle K Expands Fast EV Charging Footprint
Convenience retailer Circle K is getting closer to its sustainability goals, adding on another EV charging site, this time in Wytheville, Virginia. This is the first site to be equipped with Terra 184 DC fast chargers.
This is part of parent company Alimentation Couche-Tard’s larger effort to overhaul charging infrastructure and push toward more sustainable operations by 2024. Circle K’s latest addition is one of 200 EV charging stations planned for across North America, and there are already more than 1,400 fast chargers available at 300 locations in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
[Alimentation Couche-Tard was named a Top 100 Retailer for 2023. See who else ranked.]
Circle K’s implementation of Terra EV chargers comply with the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Buy America Act regulations and are Energy Star certified. They will increase Wythesville’s fast charging footprint by more than 20%.
"With demonstrated experience in EV charging in our European markets and a coast-to-coast network of well-located stores here in the U.S., we are well positioned to participate in the accelerated growth of EV charging infrastructure across the country and meet the evolving needs of our customers," said Snorre Skeie, director of e-mobility, North America, for Circle K, in a statement.
"We are very pleased to make it easier for EV customers in Wytheville and throughout Southwestern Virginia by filling this gap in charging availability along the I-77/81 corridor, and we are proud to celebrate this opening with ABB E-mobility as they roll out their first Terra 184 chargers manufactured here in the U.S.," Skeie added.
A Widespread Push Toward Sustainability
Electric vehicles are lessening the carbon load on the environment and so many retailers are building EV charging into their own infrastructure. Walmart, for example, is building its own EV fast-charging network, installing stations at thousands of locations (including Sam’s Club stores) across the country by 2030. Subway also plans to install a number of EV charging locations across the U.S. this year.
According to the International Energy Agency, an association focused on a sustainable energy future, electric vehicles are the key technology to decarbonize road transport — a sector that accounts for 16% of global emissions. In one scenario, the IEA expects an electric car fleet of over 300 million by 2030, and electric cars accounting for 60% of new car sales.
